It's Penn Down, Eli To Go

On Saturday afternoon the Crimson devoured the Quakers with a zeal usually reserved for their breakfast cereal. Harvard came back dramatically after halftime to give the University of Pennsylvania a beating they will not soon forget. As predicted, Neil Rose and Carl Morris valiantly led Harvard past Penn’s imposing defense. With countless big plays when they mattered most, the Crimson showed that they had not only the ability, but also the will, to win. Harvard’s 28-21 victory guarantees we will win at least a share of this year’s Ivy League title.

A victory in The Game next weekend will give Harvard its first season without a loss or a tie since the formation of the Ivy League in 1913. Not in current undergraduate memory has Harvard had such a memorable season. In 1997 the Crimson posted its first Ivy unbeaten season, but lost a non-conference game early in the season. Twenty-nine years before, in 1968, the Crimson had a season with no losses, ending with a 29-29 win over Yale.

The crowd itself was historic in number—the largest non-Game crowd in years. It was a joy to see the thousands of Crimson supporters who headed down to the Stadium. In a close, captivating game their vociferous support cheered the team to victory.

And so, flush with pride and ready for their just desserts, suppporters will flock in even greater numbers to watch Harvard crush the hapless Elis this Saturday, to share in savoring the first Harvard-Yale victory in four long years.

But such thoughts are for the coming days. Let the football team now, in the happy knowledge that it has earned all the accolades which have come its way, take pride in a job well done. Players, coaches, fans and even the band struck the right note last weekend. And after this Saturday, our victory tune will reverberate sweetly and strongly in New Haven.